[News] Confirmed: Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matt have passed away

[Paulie Walnuts]

The thread title makes it seem like a natural death or something.

Maybe it should be changed to murdered by a drunk driver.

[timun]

In addition to the Gaudreau brothers, I found out this morning that a work acquaintance died too. #### this day, what a ####ty ####ing day all around. Apologies in advance to everyone if I make some ####ty irritable posts to CP today.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by getbak

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829556481416450066

The skittles are a nice touch.

[dammage79]

I hope Barn burner doesn't go on air. They're clearly unable to keep it together right now. Unlike 960, they don't really have to go on.

[Nyah]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829558079350030369

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Is Johnny the biggest athlete death in height of career, potentially ever? I'm struggling to find parallels to this

Ayrton Senna was a big one back in the 90s.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by shogged

just wanna talk about the mental health aspect of this news today. For a lot of us, this might be the first celebrity death that hits close to home. we might be asking ourselves why we feel these powerful emotions for someone we didn't know personally.

We are grieving more that just the individual today, we also grieve for our own emotional connections to johnny. Watching him play with friends, family, our community of flames fans and hockey fans creates a deep emotional bond, its painful when its severed. It also targets our identities; as flames fans we share that collective identity that johnny symbolizes and it feels like part of that is gone now. We mourn both the past and also what could have been.

it's important to remember self care today, to reach out to others and share our grief. check in on your fellow fans and share a memory or two. eat a good meal, get some rest, take a break from the screens.

Out of thanks, but just wanted to say thank you for this.

[DownInFlames]

Grieve how you want but instead of flowers can I suggest something more productive like donating to a charity in his name? No judgment, whatever you do.

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by timun

I've been sitting waiting for this to start since about 9:45, and they've pushed the start back twice already... Definitely going to be tough.

EDIT: #### I don't think I can listen to this, I'm gonna be a god-damned wreck at the office...

Be patient with yourself and others today. It's going to be a tough one.

[united]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829504767544172702

[bc-chris]

what awful awful news


it's hard to believe that 10 years ago Johnny was at young stars in penticton.
man he was fun to watch


IMG_2261 by bc-chris, on Flickr


IMG_1912 by bc-chris, on Flickr


IMG_2823 by bc-chris, on Flickr


IMG_0995 by bc-chris, on Flickr

[nieuwy-89]

My wife woke me up with this news today. It was hard to believe at first and I didn’t think I’d be so affected. But I’m so sad on many levels. Johnny was the Flames star player as my kids were growing up and becoming Flames fans. Somehow you feel like you know the kid. Watching him flip pucks in warmup. His dynamic plays, big goals. And his understated respectful mannerisms.

Was pissed at him when he left but still happy for the fond memories and 9 year career in Calgary. Must have seemed like a foreign land to an American teen from NJ but he never complained.

As I process this I’m so sad for his family, his wife, his kids. Just an absolute tragedy.

[ComixZone]

Getting pretty leaky over here tuning into the Barn Burner...

[OILFAN #81]

Gutted. I posted in this thread last night when I was hoping it was false. Thinking of the entire Flame, Blue Jacket and hockey family. Also the Gaudreau’s. I can’t imagine how his parents, wife, and sisters are feeling. It’s so sad that Katie’s wedding was today and also that his wife has 2 small children. An absolute tragedy and all because of a drunk driver. It’s so damn preventable and makes me mad.

Gaudreau was a player on the ice who I respected. A a rival fan you have some players you don’t like when the game is on (Iginla, Langkow, Gaudreau) but when it’s off the ice you respect them because they are good people. He was one of those.

So sorry Flames fans. Cherish the memories of him. Fly high Johnny. RIP.

[manwiches]

That tribute they did on BarnBurner made me tear up. Jesus H...

[Snuffleupagus]

Devastating news, I cannot imagine the pain and heartache the Gaudreau's, the wives and friends are feeling. my clients are going to have to wait a while to hear my usual "happy friday"

[GioforPM]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1829512200849125766

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Is Johnny the biggest athlete death in height of career, potentially ever? I'm struggling to find parallels to this

The next biggest one in hockey I can think of is Pelle Lindbergh. Died, also in car accident. Won the Vezina just before his death.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Thanks for the mental health pep talk. ^

Have a date this evening with someone I don't know well and I don't know if I can get myself into good enough spirits for that.

I felt bad about potentially re-scheduling, thinking to myself it shouldn't be a problem to shelf this for a few hours, why can't you do that? But maybe it's not strange to need a little time to grieve something that mattered, even if the physical connection wasn't close.

There's no way this isn't weighing on my mind for any stretch of time today.

[White Out 403]

I don't know if this is a ####ed up thing to be thinking about but I wonder if they're even going ahead with the wedding today. What an absolute catastrophe on top of a tragedy.